Power-operated valve



June 20, 1944. lA. J. TROTT 2,352,140

4 POWER OPERATED yALvE Filed March 28, 1942 BYV 2:6/

ATTORNEY.

Patented June'20,' 1944 OFFICE rowna-orsaa'rsn VALVE -Arthur J. Trott,Greensburg, Pa., assigner to Walworth Patents Inc., Boston,.Mass., acorporation of Massachusetts Application March' 2s, 1942, serai No.436,5s1

(ci. 'x4-401) 6 Claims.

This invention vrelates to power operated apparatus and moreparticularly to power actuated apparatus having provision for manualactuation.

One of the objects of this invention is t permit automatic change-overfrom one form of actuation to the other with convenience `and safety. A

Another object of the invention is to render it impossible to operate avalve by power without irst disconnecting the manual operating means.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation partly in section of a gate valve showingthe invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line IIL-III of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing it will be seen that theinvention is illustratedas 'being applied to a gate valve of thenon-rising net I6 carries a yoke member 22 terminating inw an annularcap 24 through which the stem I4 projects.

The cap 24 may be recessed, as at 26, for the reception of the hubportion 21 of a cup-shaped gear housing 28 secured to the cap by meansof the screws 80. The hub portion 21 of the housing 28 is provided withinternal threads for engagement with the threaded end of a hollowbearing element 32 which is mounted on the projecting end of the stemI4. Rotatably mounted on the bearing element 32 is a spur geary34 thehub of which rests on the threaded `hub portion 21 of the housing 28.The gear 34 is maintained in position against axial movement by theprovision of an enlarged head 88 on the bearing element 32 whichoverlies the hub of the gear 34.

Power operation of the valve may be eected by rotation of the gear 34through suitable connection with power driving means. In this instance,the gear 84 meshes with a pinion 40 carried by the driving shaft of aiiuid operated will be apparent hereinafter the motor 42 and gagement ofa flange 44 thereon with a suitable facing or 'pad 46 formed on theunderside ofthe gear housing 28 atv a point offset yfrom the axisthereof and secured thereto by means of the screws'48. yA cover III issecured tothe `housing '28 and provided with an opening for thereception of a clutch housing 52 secured thereto by means of the screws54 and into which the 'stem I4 projects.

The fluid operated motor 42 may. in this instance, be an air motorarranged to be driven selectively in opposite directions by manipulationof a suitable multi-way valve mechanism 58. As

its control valve mechanism 56 form nopart of the present invention inrespect to details of construction or mode of operation. As indicated inFig. 1. the control valve 88 should be constructed so that manipulationof its operating handle 58 from an oil to an open position will permitpressure fluid, such as compressed air, to flow from the air supply pipe80 through the valve mechanism 5l to the inlet pipe 82 leading to theair -motor 42. 'Ihe valve stem I4 will thereupon be driven through thegearing and through novel clutching means to be described, in acounterclockwise directionto cause opening of the valve gate I2. Whenthe handle 58 is moved to the close" position, as indicated in Fig. 1,the pressure fluid will flow from the supply pipe 60 through the' inletpipe 84 also leading to the air `motor 42. 'I'he valve stem I4 will thenbe rotated in the reverse direction to cause movement of the valve gateI2 to close the passageway through the valve body I0. During the timethat the handle 58 remains in the close position, the pipe 62 isconnected through the valve mechanism 88 to exhaust the pressure fluidtherein and a similar connection to exhaust may be made from the pipe 84when the handle 58 is moved to the "open position. Thus, any of thevarious multi-way valves common to the art may be used to perform thedesired functions.

This 'invention is more particularly directed toward the provision ofmeans for providing joint manual and power actuation forthe valvedescribed while rendering it impossible to operate the valve by thepower means without ilrst automatically disconnecting the manualoperating means. To this end, a hollow clutch piston' 86 is provided inthe clutch housing 52 having formed in one face thereof an annularrecess 68. The inner wall of the recess 88 is provided with a packingring 1li having sealing engagement with a projecting collar 12 formed onthe inner .end

face of the clutch housing B2. The piston Il is secured to theprojecting end of the stem Il for slidable but non-rotatable movementrelative thereto by means of keys 1l projecting from the valve stem I4into suitable keyways formed in the inner wall 1l of the hollow pistonIl.

The annular end face of the piston tl, deilned by the inner wall ofrecess Il and inner wall 1l, is provided with a set of clutch elementsIt adapted to engage complementary clutch elements 'Il projecting from aclutch collar l surmounting the piston and having a portionextendingexterior of the clutch housing 52. The

clutch collar 80 is held against axial movement with respect to theclutch housing 52 by the provision of a head l2 on the end within theclutch housing 52 and a collar Il seated on the end of the clutchhousing I2 and secured to the clutch collar I0 by means of the screws86. The projecting end of the clutch collar l0 provides a socket for thereception of the spindle of a handwheel Il secured thereto by means ofthe rivet or locking pin 09.

The piston il which overlies gear M is normally spaced therefrom bymeans of a coil spring 90 extending between the bearing element 32 andthe piston II, there being suitable recesses provided in these membersand forming an annular space around the -valve stem for the reception ofthis spring 90. Hence, when the handwheel 88 is rotated, concurrentrotation of the stem I I will occur due to the clutch connections.

previously described. During such manual operation of the valve,rotation of the gear 34 due to simultaneous operation of the motor, I2would have no effect upon the valve stem Il, as the gear 3l is Journaledon the bearing element 32. Hence, in order to connect the gear Il todrive the valve stem I4 upon power actuation of the valve, the gear 34is provided with a driving element $2. This element 82 may be integralwith the gear 34 but, in this instance, is shown as in the form of aseparate segment secured to the gear 34 by screws 94 and slightly spacedfrom the enlarged head 3l on the bearing element 32. The piston 68 isprovided with'a complementary driving member 96 for element 92 and thismem- Vber also may beintegral therewith but, in this instance, is shownas carried by an eccentric f' collar 98. The collar 98 is threaded uponthe end of the piston 66 which is suitably recessed leaving an annularend portion Illil housing the coil spring SII. In order to cause axialmovement of the piston 66 to engage the driving member 88 thereon withdriving member 92, a suitable supply pipe |02 may extend from the motorcontrol valve mechanism 56 tothe clutch housing 52 to discharge pressurefluid into the annular space IM above the piston 66. Any suitable meansmay be incorporated in the valve mechanism 58 to cause ilow of pressurefluid through the pipe N2 whenever the control handle 58 is moved eitherto the open" or "olose positions. In this manner the driving element 96is moved downwardly into the plane of the driving element 92 wheneveractuation of the, motor 42 occurs and the manual operating means isautomatically disconnected from driving engagement with the valve stemi4.

, It will be observed that considerable rotary travel of the drivingelement 92 normally will occur before this element will engage with thedriving member 9B in either direction of rotation of the gear ll. Thus,due to such lost motion an impact is given to the valve stem at thelnception of power actuation of the valve so that if the .gate i2 isstuck orv frozen to its seat or is jammed in any operating position itcan readily be freedfor normal operation.

In non-rising stem gate valves of the type described and shown theposition of the gateis usually indicated by suitable means visible fromthe valve exterior. Such means may take the form of a threaded collar IMlocated on the valve stem il within yoke 22 and having a pointer l whichenters a slot I" formed in one arm of the yoke. Thus, the collar beingprevented from rotating on the stem will rise and drop thereon inaccordance with movements of the gate I2 and indicate whether the latteris in open or closed position.

The clutching arrangement of the present invention may be equally wellapplied to globe valves wherein the stem travels a short distance duringopening and closing movements. In such applications the indicator meansdescribed would be dispensed with so that reciprocation through thebearing element 32 vcould occur Such variations are thought to beobvious and are contemplated as being withinv the scope of thisinvention.

The operation of the device will be clear from the foregoing descriptionfrom which it will be apparent that rotation of the handwheel Il formanual actuation of the valve can be conducted whenever the piston Il ismits uppermost position.4 When the control valve I6 is operated tointroduce pressure fluid above the piston Si and simultaneously toactuate the motor I2, the plston will be moved downwardly to disengagethe clutching elements Il and 'Il whereupon no further manual actuationcan occur. It will thus be apparent that either manual or poweractuation can be utilized to operate the valve and that the change-overfrom one to the other may be made with ease and safety. The embodimentsaid stem, each said device having a driving connection spaced from theother, driving means slidable on said stem between said connections .forestablishing operative engagement between one device and the stem whilesimultaneously disengaging the other, means biasing said driving meansinto operative engagement with said manu ally operated device, and meansfor applying powerv to said power operated device and coincidentally tosaid driving means for overcoming said biasing means.

2. In a power operated apparatus, a rotatable stem, a manually operabledevice mounted for relative rotation on said stem, a power operateddevice mounted for relative rotation on said stem, each device having adriving connection spaced from the other, driving means slidably andnonhaving separate connection with said source for operating saiddriving means.

3. In a power operated apparatus, a rotatable stem, manual operatingmeans for rotating saidl comprising a driving gear mounted for relativelrotation on said stem, pressure fluid means for rotating said gear, ahandwheel surmounting said gear and rotatable relative thereto and tosaid stem, toothed portions on said handwheel and gear, a sliding dogsecured against rotation relative to said stem and located between saidhandwheel and gear, means normally biasing said-dog intodrivingengagement with the toothed portion of said handwheel forimparting manual actuation toA said stem, and means for moving said dogby pressure uid out of engagement with said handwheel and intoengagement with the toothed portion of said gear for imparting poweractuation to said stem. I

5. In a power operated apparatus, a rotatable non-rising stem, acylinder mounted on said stem, a piston in said cylinder having slidableand non-rotatable engagement with said stem, an attachment for supplyingpressure uid to the cylinder on one side of said piston for slidablemovement thereof, a driving gear mounted for relative rotation on saidstem opposite the pressure uid side of said piston, pressure uidactuated means I said pressure fluid means for supplying pressureA forrotating said gear, interengaging means on said piston and gear forimparting rotation of one f to the other, a handwheel for said stem,means on said pressure iluid side of Athe piston for securing thehandwheel to the cylinder for rotation relative thereto, interengagingmeans on said piston and the last said means for imparting rotation ofone tothe other, and yieldable means between said piston and gear fornormally maintaining said` handwheel interengaging means connected andthe other interengaging means disconnected, said yieldable meanspermitting reversal of said connections upon application of pressurefluid to said piston.

6. In a power operated apparatus, a casing having a rotatable stemextending therefrom, a gear housing mounted in said casing, a bushingsecured to said housing around said stem, a gear journaled on saidbushing, means for rotating said gear by pressure iuid operation, lacylinder mounted on said gear housing, a piston in said cylinder havingslidable and non-rotatable engagement with said stem, an attachment fromfluid to the cylinder on one side of said piston for slidable movementthereof, means for imparting rotation of said gear to said piston andthus to the stem, said means comprising a pair of lugs adapted tointerengage after lost motion therebetween for creating an impact, ahandwheel for said stem, means interengaging said handwheel and thepiston for imparting manual rotation to said stern, and a springextending between said bushing and piston for normally maintaining thelast said meansengaged until pressure fluid op-` eration is initiatedand slidable movement of the piston occurs.

ARTHUR J, TROTT.

